Get Out. Get Moving. Start.

Action always beats intention.

A dream you don’t have to fight for isn’t a dream—it’s a nap. One changes your afternoon. The other changes your world. Keep fighting.

What a 7 year old taught me about fame.

Blogging/ Creativity July 29, 2011 • Comments

Right now, it’s easy to self promote.

It’s tempting to spend more time and energy on promoting your idea than you actually spend on creating your idea. With social media we have a thousand ways to grab a bullhorn and tell the world what we’ve created. Which I think can be a great thing. I’ve loved the ability to tell people about the Quitter Conference or my books via social media.

But sometimes I fear the promotion of the idea has become our goal, not the idea itself.

Keep Reading —›

3 things publishers look for in new authors.

Writing July 13, 2011 • Comments

At the end of the Quitter Conference, we’re doing a writer’s Q&A. As I’ve started to think through that, a lot of ideas about writing and publishing have popped in my head.

I’ve written three books. I published Stuff Christians Like with Zondervan. I published Quitter and Gazelles, Baby Steps and 37 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me about Debt, through Lampo Press, Dave Ramsey’s publishing house.

After talking with a half dozen publishers, I learned that they tend to ask 3 fairly consistent questions when they look at a proposal from a new author:

Keep Reading —›

How to keep your edge.

Creativity/ Quitter July 11, 2011 • Comments

A few weekends ago, I was on the show Fox & Friends. I did it “on the wire,” which means I sat in the Dave Ramsey studio and appeared live from Nashville.

It’s a nationally broadcast show with a weekly audience of millions and millions of people. I was nervous, but since this was my fourth time being on the show, I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I was the first time.

When I texted my team leader that I was doing the show again, he wrote me back something that I thought was brilliant. Here is what he said:

Keep Reading —›

Don’t know where to start? It’s time to draw some monsters.

Creativity/ Quitter July 8, 2011 • Comments

When you see someone who has acquired some degree of success, it’s easy to assume that their passion found them like a pure white unicorn unexpectedly showing up in their backyard. They were having coffee in the kitchen and just looked up from the window over the sink to see a dazzling white horse with a horn standing by the bird bath. In wonder, they followed it outside. As they approached, it gently moved away, turning back to make sure they were following. Then, like a surreal Lassie, it led them deep into the forest. After following this magical creature, they were eventually led to a beautiful treasure chest. And that’s how Stephen King became an author.

But that’s not really how it happens. I wish it did. But nobody stumbles on their dream like that.  I used to constantly try to have “touchdown moments.” Have you ever seen a movie where a football falls at a fan’s feet? The fan picks it up and then inexplicably throws a 50-yard touchdown. The coach sees it, they immediately put a uniform on him, and he wins the game. Hooray!

Finding out what you’re meant to do is rarely like that. A lot of times, finding out what you’re supposed to do comes at the end of a lot of failure. In fact, sometimes you have to draw monsters.

Keep Reading —›